Edwabd j



(No Model.)

E. J.v BROOKS.

SEAL PoR'sEAL LOCKS. v N0.,355,636. Patented Jan. 4, 1887.

l Alll EDWARD J. BROOKSJ e781? 'Ms' oznea UNITED ,STATES PATENT EDWARD J. BROOKS, vOld" EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO E. J'.

BROOKS 8D OO., OE NEW YORK, N. Y.

SEAL FOR SEAL-LOCKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 355,636, dated January 4, 1887.

Application filed October 25, 1886. Serial No. 217,124. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD J. BRooKs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of East Orange, in the State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Seals for Seal-Locks, Ste., of which the'following is a specification. Y

This invention relates to that class of seals for seal-locks7 and fastenings of various sorts which are now made of glass, or of glass and paper combined, and in use are inclosed or partly inclosed within a portion of the lock or lock-casing, termed the seal-holder, in front of a spring-catch or retaining device, so that access to the latter can only be had'by breaking the seal.

Heretofore such seals have been unavoidably destroyed as evidence in so breaking them,

I the entire seal being customarily broken into small fragments and picked out` of the sealholderbefore the unlocking operation, and itl would be impossible to do'otherwise as a rule. l Consequently, on opening a sealed railwaycar,

for example, and-finding goods missing, there is usually no conclusive evidence that the seal of t-he class aforesaid which was inspected and broken was a genuine seal applied by the shipper. Moreover, in such seals of glass and paper combined, as heretofore constructed, common Window-glass has been almost exclusively used in practice, owing to the expensiveness of those more safe substitutes therefor which have been proposed, thus facilitating the counterfeiting or duplicating of such seals. Not only so, there has been no adequate provision against the entrance of small-fragments of the broken seal into the works of the lock.

The presentY invention consists i n certain novel featuresof construction and combina-v tions and arrangements of parts in seals of said class, or seals adapted to be used in the same or like locks or fastenings, as hereinafter set forth and claimed, whereby conclusive evidence of the character of each seal may be readily preserved, counterfeiting or duplicating is rendered practically impossible by inexpensive means, and the entrance of fragments of the broken seal into the lock is effectively prevented, while at the same time breaking the seal in the improved way is facilitated, and accidental breakage can be unmistakably distinguished from violation ofthe seal.

A sheet of drawings 'accompanies this specification as part thereof.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a perspective view of a'seal embodying all the'several features of said invention. Fig.`2 represents a longitudinal section of the same in a sealholder.- Fig. 3 represents a like view of the seal itself, partly broken, illustrating the eX- clusion of fragments ofthe seal from the lock. Fig. 4 is a like view illustrating the completion of the breaking operation in the act of unlocking the seal-holder. Figs. 5 to 8, inclusive, represent longitudinal sections 'of slightly-modified seals. Figs. 9 and 10 are respectively a perspective view and a longi-v tudinal section of another seal, illustrating additional modifications. Figs. 11 to 14, inclusive, represent longitudinal sections of other slightly-modified seals. Fig. 15 represents a cross-section of another modified seal in a sealholder, and Fig. 16 is a perspective view of the seal last mentioned.

Likeletters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several iigures.

Each seal comprises a rigid and fra-ngible cast or molded body, A, which is preferably 0f. transparent glass, provided'in the molds or dies with a 'recess or recesses, r, rendering a portion of the seal very thin, so that it may tion without breaking it elsewhere, and nearly the whole seal may consequently bepreserved intact, as evidence of its character and marks, after it has been so broken to open the lock or fastening which it guards. Said recesses r be readilybrokeu within the area of said porare so located as to be inline with or opposite the fcatch-hole 7L in the back of the inner part or slide,7 S, of a seal-holder, Fig. 2 or Fig. 15, so that when saidthin portion ofthe seal is broken direct access is had through the break and recess o r recesses to the springcatch O, or other retaining device, by which withdrawal of said slide is prevented, so thatl the same may be pushed backby a push-key, P, Eig. 4, to unlock the holder. The latter may in turn permit the actuation of a lock, or

may. lself, including a suitable housing, H, constitute the fastening of a railway-car door, a safety-case for valuables, or the like.` Each seal is, moreover, provided in the molds or dies with permanent distinguishing-marks m, which are readily so added, while they cannot be counterfeited or reproduced except in a factory with theaid of like molds or dies and suitable manufacturing plant.' It has been found in practice that seal parts which can only be so produced are free from liability to be fraudulently duplicated. Characters cl, forming the directions Break here, are likewise preferably formed in the seals by the molds or dies.

In the specific seal represented by Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, a single recess, r, is formed in the back of the frangible body A. The lettering cl is formed in the bottom of the recess in cameoH characters, being most readily so formed by engraving77 or die-sinking the end of the matrical projection which forms the recess. The marks m (U. S. Safety Seal/7 Fig. 1) are formed in intaglio characters in the back of the body, and said body is supplemented by a backing, B, of paper or like fabric, cemented to the body A, which is of transparent glass, and bearing in the example, Fig. 1, descriptive printed matter ce, (O. to N.Y.,) a serial number, b, (9000,) and engraving c, (lathe-work,) all of which are exposed to View through the transparent body of the seal, as represented in Fig. 1.- Said backing B, in connection with said recess i, forms a pocket in the seal to receive .the fragments of glass when its thin portion is broken,

as seen in Fig. 3, so as to prevent their entrance into the lock. If the seal should be so broken accidentally, the fragments would ordinarily remain in the recess, while the backing B would remain intact. Otherwise the fragments are at once blown out, and the push-key P is forced through the backing against the catch C, Fig. 2, as represented in Fig. 4.

.The modification represented by Fig. 5 con- Y sists in omitting such backing B or employing said body A alone.

In the modified seal represented by Fig. 6 the directions nl, as well as the marks m, are intaglio, both being formed in the face of the seal-body A.

In the modified seal represented by Fig. 7 the directions il and marks m are both formed by cameo characters on the face of the sealbody A. In that represented by Fig. 8 the marks m alone are formed in cameo characters on the face of the seal-body A, the directions d being formed within the recess r, as in the two seals iirst described.

Y The principal modifications represented by Figs. 9 and 10 are a change of shape and a change of location in the recess r. It is here shown round and in the face of the seal-body A, in contrast with the square recess in the 65 back` of the seal shown in Figs. 1 to 4. It is obvious that t-he recess in either location may be 'of any preferred shape without affecting the before-mentioned functions of the recess, while such shapes may aid in distinguishing 7c seals applied` to particular uses. Said seal (represented by Figs. 9 and 10) also illustrates forming said directions cl and marks m by cameo characters on the face of the seal. Its

a(In Bond7) and a serial number, l1, Y. 7000.7)

The modified seal represented by Fig. 11 consists of the seal-body A of the seal last described without its backing B. That repre- 8o sented by Fig. 12 illustrates forming the directions cl and marks m by cameo characters on the back of the seal-body A. That represented by Fig. 13 illustrates forming the directions el by cameo characters on the bottom of a face recess, i', in connection with intaglio marks m in the face of the seal-body A. That represented by Fig. 14 illustrates forming the directions (l by cameo characters on the bottom of a shallow back recess, r, in connection 9o with..a matching face recess, i", and marks m m', both in intaglio and in cameo, and on both back and face of the seal-body A.

The modified seal represented by Figs. 15 and 16 has lmarginal flanges f, by which to 95 hold it in the slide S of the seal-holder S H, so that the entire face of the seal may be exposed, and it is provided on its face with cameo distinguishing-marks m, and also with cameo descriptive marks a', which may be so roo prominent as to be distinguished by feeling them. As regards its recesses r r and directions cl, it is like the seal, Fig. 14, just described.

It will be obvious that any of the seals rep- [o5 resented by Figs. 6 to 8 and 12 to 16, inelul sive, may be provided with suitable backings',

B, and that otherwise those having their directions al and marks m on the face of the seal-body A may be opaque or semi-opaque 1ro without loss of function. Other like modifications will suggcst themselves to those skilled inthe art.

Having thus described my said improvement in seals for seal-locks, &c., I claim as my inx15 vention and desire to patent under this specification- 1. Ascal having a rigid and frangible body provided with a` recess or recesses which renbacking B is provided with descriptive matter 'l der a circumscribed portion of the same very 12o thin, so that this portion may be easily broken through without injuring the remainder of said body, substantially as herein specified, for the purpose set forth. l

2. A seal having a rigid and frangible body provided with a recess or recesses which render a circumscribed portion of the same very thin,and having molded distinguishiiig-marks,

so that the sainemust be vmade in Vmolds or dies, substantially as' herein speeied, for the purpose set forth.

3. A'seal having a rigid and frangible body 5 provided with a recess in its back, which renders a circumscribed portion of said body very thin, in combination with a backing of paper or the like, separated from said thin portion of the body by said recess, so as not to be necessarily broken in the act of breaking through 1o said thin portion7 substantially as herein specified, for the purposes set forth.

- EDWARD J. BROOKS. Witnesses:

N. S. KLINE, H.Y L. C. WENK. 

